PDA

View Full Version : 9-11 Vanity Fair article

sandy61
08-04-2006, 01:58 AM
Here is an interesting article about the military confusion during the 9-11 attacks.

http://www.vanityfair.com/features/general/060801fege01

I find it interesting with the end of the cold war and all, that there were only 4 fighters assigned to defend the NE section of the US. I would have thought there would have been more.
mbushaw
08-06-2006, 11:57 AM
I find it interesting with the end of the cold war and all, that there were only 4 fighters assigned to defend the NE section of the US. I would have thought there would have been more.

There were only 4 fighters on alert. Many more were available, but would take time to launch.
sandy61
08-06-2006, 04:02 PM
It would take 30 to 45 minutes to fuel and arm up a fighter for an intercept from an empty condition. The point I guess I was getting to was 4 fighters for a large area doesn't seem reasonable. I know that the cold war is over but there are still a lot of missles and bombers pointed this way ( i know, missles can't be caught). I would have thought there would have been more equipment ready for an intercept type of mission.
Egyptian
08-06-2006, 10:15 PM
Having spent a lot of years in the old TAC, fighter wings typically have just a few (maybe 4) fighters on alert at any given moment. Even in Europe, we only had 4 F4s on alert, and for a while we had a couple of F-102s ready to intercept. These are hot armed and ready to fly on about 5 minuts notice. The Cold War ended after I left the AF, but I would think they still work pretty much the same, but I am sure the mission has changed over the years.

Egyptian
sandy61
08-07-2006, 02:40 AM
The F-102's had a Nuclear Air-to-air missle called the Genie if I remember right. I guess they were designed to shoot down bomber formations. Glad we still don't use them.
Egyptian
08-07-2006, 08:22 AM
So did the F106s.. We had two of them on alert, nuclear equiped and ready all the time at KI Sawyer. But that was another time and another AFSC.

Egyptian
PhantomPharter
08-07-2006, 02:36 PM
Good old Delta Darts! Worked Vodoos(101's) and F106's at Tyndall AFB, FL back in dem 70's! (Later F4D's,RF4C's, F4E's, C7's,C130's, F111's). Used to love to taxi the 106's over to the trim pad in the early hours. Dumped alot of fuel leak cans, and changed alot of HEP and HRP packages-and a crapload of starters and starter air hoses-but still loved that jet!arms:
</IMG>